A Tangled Web

Once a Lemon, Now a Cabbage



Remember when some Ulster Unionist mush called Tim Lemon stood against Peter Robinson in East Belfast for the 2001 General Election? Now his good lady wife faces a 'challenge' by Trimble lickspittle, Dermot Nesbitt, in her Strangford constituency. Deary me, some Ulster Unionists are really affected by self-delusion. Earlier on this week we saw a dopey Daphne pledging to unseat Jeffrey Donaldson in Lagan Valley; now we have dizzy Dermot, who, in true Tammy Wynette fashion, always stands by his man (David 'Traitor' Trimble), claiming he has a realistic chance of unseating Iris Robinson.



Accounting for present electoral trends in Ulster, the UUP will be lucky to hold on to just one of their five existing seats, let alone seek to add extra constituency treasures to their tally. If Robinson had a 1,500 majority over a UUP challenger in 2001, you can bet you life that majority will have tripled by next May. Ulster Unionists had a chance to save their party by dumping their leader. Because they refused to do so, the pro-Union people will dispense with the party. It's that straightforward.